Dear We are teachers,
My first grade teacher recently told our group that she won’t be back after recess. I can’t stop thinking about everything I need to do to prepare for his long-term career, not to mention how upset I am that my co-worker suddenly left us during the holidays. What things should I do now, and what can I wait until later? I feel like this is wasting my break.
—This Couldn’t Happen?!
Dear TCHW,
I understand that as teachers, we are programmed to overcompensate, overprepare, and sacrifice our personal time for work when we don’t get nearly the support we deserve. But this time, don’t.
Don’t start writing long paragraph lessons. Don’t hunt for a replacement. Don’t start living in a future you no longer need to stress about. If there is, you need this time more than anything to rest for the upcoming semester. Instead, let the principal be the one to emphasize right now. That’s why they get paid big bucks (Okay, maybe big).
During the rest of the break, every time you think of another task to do, write it down in a journal or note on your phone. That way, you can put it out of your mind, knowing that all your tasks are in one place and you can visit them when you’re ready.
It may feel like everything is falling apart right now, but try asking yourself, “What if everything works out?” Because even if it takes time—it will work.
Dear We are teachers,
I can’t wrap my head around the fact that we’re coming back from winter break for two days … and then it’s the weekend. I feel like it’s a complete waste. What can I do with my middle school history classes for two days that aren’t mistakes but don’t get into important content that will quickly be forgotten?
—Who Made This Calendar?
Hello WMTC,
Some thoughts from those first two days (just spewing here):
- Look at a blank Word document and slowly commit yourself to the crisis.
- Send everyone outside and take a nap. Put the most faithful student in charge.
- Show them The Titanic on VHS. The first tape on the first day, the second on the second day. (They’ll be fine—they have a weekend to recover.)
OK, don’t do any of those things. First, let’s change the narrative here. Believe it or not, I actually love the idea of ​​a two-day week—of all people! Two days may seem unreasonable, but would you really choose to go back to the full five days? (Progress.) I think these two days are a good time to get used to it, reset expectations and routines, and have a sort of “warm-up” before your first full week back.
Instead, here are two better ideas for you:
- Prepare students with vocabulary or perhaps prior knowledge needed for your upcoming unit. It’s not difficult but it will get them in the right frame of mind for the week ahead.
- Try some team building activities or start a new routine together. Creating strong communities is no easy feat—it provides a solid foundation for the rest of the semester!
Not surprisingly The Titanic on VHS, but on the plus side, it won’t get you fired.
Dear We are teachers,
I have a student who has a “preferred seating” accommodation in his IEP. He is well aware of his IEP and insists that this means he gets to choose his seat every day, which greatly disrupts my seating chart (and other students’). I don’t want to seem like I’m backing down on what he needs, but does “choice” mean my understanding of what doesn’t bother him so much?
-Professor Preferential
Dear PP,
I’ve found that “preferences” can mean different things. In my experience, it usually meant “what may be special for the child’s benefit” not “where the child wants to live.” But often the IEP will have more specific language.
First, I would check with your IEP/SpEd coordinator for clarification. The search for understanding does not back down! If “preferences” mean what the child likes, you’ll want to know that and maybe give feedback on how that works. Your IEP team may want to meet again to revisit how that accommodation works.
Do you have a burning question? Email us at [email protected].
Dear We are teachers,
In an effort to illustrate how our holiday party goes wrong every year, let me describe just a few real-life situations that have occurred. 1) Our cooking teacher dresses up as Santa and tries hard to convince the teachers (especially the younger female teachers) to sit on his lap. 2) Our assistant principal got very drunk and fell off the Christmas tree and had to get emergency help for glass ornaments embedded in her skin. 3) The same assistant principal got very drunk and cornered me one year and cried about his divorce for 2 hours (we don’t know each other). I am always uncomfortable in this event. How can I suggest we put it down without sounding like an illegal?
—Probably a Party Pooper
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